Halls Wood at Falmouth Univesity 2024

Tom Cross 1931 – 2009

Halls Wood

1959

Oil on Board

75.5 x 121.5 cm

Gift from the Artists Estate to Falmouth University

Tom Cross was Principal of Falmouth School of Art from 1976 to

1987

Halls Wood was painted at his friend’s house Christopher Hall

who was a fellow painter, lifelong friend and godfather to Tom and Pat's son

David.

In Cross’s Sketchbook, 1959, housed in the Falmouth University

archives Tom Cross writes:

'4th April 1959. After 5 days work on Hall's Wood - 244 Andover

Road , Newbury, I have one day more. Started Monday drawing on rough side of

hardboard improved with two coats flat white. Drawing in cobalt blue and then

with yellow ochre. Monday Tues & Wednesday now still transparent but in

full colour. On Wednesday evening I decided it was necessary to use opaque

paint and for Thursday and Friday used that paint with grey base for structure.

Colour - soft green, veridian clove green cobalt blue. ivory. Black. Burnt

amber, burnt sienna...red yellow ochre, cardamon yellow, clove yellow and lemon

yellow...white. 

The idea of this picture is something to put to the London Group

on Monday. All I can hope is a few vertical references and a web of green with

perhaps another web of blue-purple analogous to a rope. I should be able now to

see movement in the picture, but as yet I cannot. But I must finish it

tomorrow.

13 April - Painting rejected by London Group. it is dull

and flat, all of one tone, and without colour.

2nd Aug. One more day on the picture of Hall's Wood that I

referred to earlier. I re-organized my palette...all best quality. I divided

the canvas into 8 parts across which gives 5 down, and today, tried to

reorganise the structure and get one or two fixed points.

7 Aug. 2 days more work...It is now becoming possible to see the

colour and the future. The paint is more dense'